Cockfights draw crowds in Syria
QAMISHLI — On a dusty farm in northeast Syria, Shufan Mahmud cradles his nine-month-old prize rooster in his hands. Sniper, as the fighting fowl is named, is gearing up for a cockfight.
Sniper's black plumage is dotted with white specks, and his head his topped with a small red crown. "All the cocks are afraid of him because he's so powerful," says Mahmud proudly, stroking Sniper's elongated neck.
Banned in many parts of the world due to concerns over animal cruelty – in this mainly Kurdish corner of the war-torn country the blood sport is proving popular.
Eight years ago, poultry farmer Mahmud installed a special pit for these tournaments near his house, outside of Qamishli, and they are now drawing in more and more residents of northern Syria. A short walk away from the fighting ring is a coop where the next generation is being raised.
Some just come as spectators, while others are there for the money. Even the roosters hail from different places – Sniper has come from Germany. "But the roosters who perform the best usually come from Adana in Turkey," he says, while still others come from India and Pakistan.
"We breed them with hens imported from Thailand for their speed and from Lebanon for their beauty," says Mahmud.
People flock to Mahmud's farm every day for the fights, but Friday – a weekend day in Syria – is the busiest, says Rezan Faysal, 38, one of the organizers. "Bets vary between 1,000 and 5,000 Syrian pounds ($2-10) – and sometimes even reach half a million ($1,100)," says Faysal, who has raised poultry since he was 13.